By Chuck Graham, TucsonStage.com
photo by Jeffrey Snyder
Counting clockwise are Damian Garcia, Myani Watson, Joanne Mack Robinson, Michael F. Woodson and Michele Holland.
For fans of traditional farce (you know who you are) “Perfect Timing” by Kristi Kane, playing at the eastside Roadrunner Theatre, is a little different. For one thing instead of emphasizing slamming doors, there are ringing telephones (always at an awkward moment) to keep the tension rising.
And my favorite difference – several scenes with strings of puns that are great fun and often rather clever.
“Perfect Timing” is set in a posh garden home in Knightsbridge, London, at an indeterminate time which feels very 1940s. That rude telephone has an old-fashioned ring to it and the women wear clothes with padded shoulders.
Women also have all the good lines. In one online review of a Los Angeles production, the reviewer referred to this comedy as “chick theater,” as in chick flick and chick lit.
Roadrunner newcomer Joanne Mack Robertson is excellent as the high-style Cornelia, an arts critic by profession who knows what she likes.
Michelle Holland is her equal as Vivianna, the best bud of Cornelia. Vivianna is the organized one who shares top billing and keeps Cornelia grounded.
But the lovely garden apartment does belong to Cornelia, giving her certain privileges as the merriment becomes madcap when hearts get misplaced along with many mistaken identities.
Manning up for their punch line roles just for being men are Michael F. Woodson as the internationally influential banker Alex Bradley, and the much younger Damian Garcia as the intuitive but uneducated artist Gerrard Castle.
Just to get things started, by the time “Perfect Timing” begins Alex has taken to staying overnight now and then with Cornelia. They are in that extended “How long are we going to stay engaged?” period because Alex just wants to feel absolutely certain.
Then Cornelia happens to meet Gerrard, the hot new artist and society darling. She is helplessly attracted to him, though she isn't about to give up Alex.
Being an incurable womanizer as well as an artist, Gerrard is happy to encourage Cornelia's philandering ideas.
Vivianna, meanwhile, gets preoccupied with helping Cornelia entice both men without making Gerrard and Alex suspicious of each other.
But that's just the Act One set-up. After intermission, Vivianna gets some action of her own and four additional actors pop in to truly complicate everything.
Chloe Loos as director sets a casual pace, giving the audience plenty of time to follow along. While the dialogue can seem a little racy at times, all the cast members maintain their cool and keep on going as if it is all very natural.
“Perfect Timing” runs through April 29 with performances at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, in the Roadrunner Theatre, 8892 E. Tanque Verde Road. Tickets are $20, students and seniors $18, military $15. For details and reservations, roadrunnertheatrecompany.org
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